Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖 
Feels: 🦋🦋 
Emotional Depth: 💔💔 
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡ 
Romance: 💞💞💞 
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑 (varies – some are a touch longer) 
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): I don’t have a full count, but estimate 0-1 per each ending. I’m giving an average feel of 🔥🔥🔥 for the book
Humor: So, so much humor! 
Perspective: 2nd person, all from the heroine. 

Basic plot: 

This is an ‘interactive’ romance novel – just like the choose your own adventure you may have read as a kid! (I did!) It’s written in second person, so “you” choose what path you want to go down. There are so many twists and turns that can happen – hopefully there’s something for everyone in this adventure. 

Give this a try if you want: 

- Humor – this book has a lot of laugh out loud silliness 

- Medium steam – most endings have a few quick kisses and some open door sex. 

- You want a nobleman as your hero! No, your female companion! No a highlander! Have them all and more in this romance :P 

- Plenty of settings to choose from – London, gothic feeling country home, Egypt... 

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this novel! Even though most of my ratings for character depth, sensuality in the intimate scenes, and sexual tension was lower...I didn’t find those things to be as high since there were so many shorter plot lines it was harder to develop those aspects of it here. 

I didn’t find that mattered to me here. This book fit something light and funny and exactly what I was in the mood for at the time. Yes, some of it was silly and even a bit absurd, but I ate it up. I really enjoyed the way it was written, the choices were so humorous...it was such a nice change to me. Plus, I can’t imagine the work that goes into creating so many choices, options, and storylines to fit everything so kudos for that. 

Content Warnings – I don’t remember noting any, but I think there’s some minor violence in some of the scenes, possibly some sexual harassment with unwanted kisses? 

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes (This is only a handful of endings, maybe like 1/3 of the choices? Just to give an idea of what to expect. There’s a decent amount of quick kisses, some fade to black sex, some euphemistic and some a bit more explicit. Not a lot of it is SUPER explicit.) 

Pg 118 – kiss with Benedict 

Pg 141 – kiss with Benedict 

Pg 241 – Kiss with Cad (he forces it) 

Pg 331 – kiss with Benedict 

Pg 149 – kiss with Benedict 

Pg 109 – kiss with Benedict 

Pg 34 – kiss with evangeline 

Pg 313🔥 – sex with Benedict (brief and very euphemistic) 

Pg 135 – very short/fade to black feel sex with Evangeline 

Pg 95 – sex with Kamal (short and vague!) 

Pg 287 🔥 – sex with Nigel 

Pg 166 – sex with Craven (short!) 

Pg 198 – sex with Craven (short!) 

Pg 61 – oral for her and sex with Craven (short and interrupted) 

Pg 240 – completed sex from Pg 61 (short!) 

 

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋💋
Intimate Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, quite a bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine (probably fairly evenly split)

Should I read in order?
Yes! They are all so good and this is a continuation of the characters from her Victorian Rebels series. If you want to start at the very beginning, get The Highwayman. That said, I do think this one stands alone fairly well if you don’t mind some side characters mentioned that you don’t know (Dorian Blackwell from The Highwayman, Morley from Seducing a Stranger, Felicity and Mercy from Tempting Fate and Dancing with Danger...the interactions are small though.)

Basic plot:
Eli Wolfe made his fortune in the American West after being born with nothing. Now in England, he’s searching for a treasure stolen from him and somehow gets caught in a compromising position with the very sweet Rosaline Goode.

Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian time period (1892)
- Ruined heroine resulting in marriage
- American hero, British heroine
- Kleptomania faced as a challenge
- Medium steam – 2 scenes but one being 10% of the book and the shorter total page count make this one feel hotter
- Age gap with older hero

Ages:
- Hero I believe is 36 (He comments on her being 15 years younger than him and thinks about the silver in his hair), heroine 21

My thoughts:
Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one. Meeting Eli, I wasn’t sold on him after his first interaction with Rosalind. But I tend to adore ruined heroine and that happened pretty soon in the book.

Eli totally won me over. Totally. He was so sweet and gentle with Rosalind and I just ate it up. He was born in Nevada with nothing, and ended up making a fortune in the mines out there. He’s a bit jaded from everyone wanting things from him, or just taking from him and he struggles a bit with trust.

Rosalind is just the sweetest. Coming from a family that has suffered, she struggles with coping with her past trauma and my heart just broke for her. Seeing her interactions with Eli and her family I found myself loving her so much.

There were quite a bit of feels for me in this novel. I laughed at how adorable they were together, and how Eli tried to curb his language and American harshness from her. My heart was gripped as Rosalind shared her demon and how she struggles. I swooned over the love scenes that were a perfect balance of details and heart.

The story felt complete for me, I do wish there had been a touch more character depth but I think it was great for the shorter page count. As always with her, I just want more and never want it to end haha.


Content Warnings:

Sexual assault (heroine remembers prior suitor reaching down her dress and pinching her nipple hard enough to bruise it)
Gun usage/being shot at
Use of the word “Savage” – referencing American customs (to get the hero and heroine out of a compromising position) “I vow, Lady Brackefeld, when I visited the American West, I was often privy to such strange and savage practices from our uncivilized cousins.”
Remembrance of being institutionalized as a child for 7 years due to being gay 
Kleptomania
Attempted sexual and physical assault on page of heroine

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

34% - kiss
50% - wedding night – touches, fingering orgasm for her, oral for her, missionary
86% - kisses, bends her over an ironing table, rips her drawers and has his way with her

Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Intimate Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine (perhaps a bit heavier on the heroine side)

Basic plot:
Three women have been hoodwinked by their trigamist husband. Now Katherine’s security and business are in jeopardy and her dowry gone. She begs her husbands half brother for help. Christian isn’t eager to clean up another one of his brother’s messes but there’s something about Katherine that draws him in...

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency time period (1815)
- London setting
- Ex-soldier/Duke hero, business owner heroine (She sells luxury bedding and pillows)
- Medium steam – 3 full scenes and more kisses
- Celibate hero
- Forbidden love – a touch of class difference and the heroine is the hero’s half brother’s widow

Ages:
- Heroine is 25, hero is 30

My thoughts:
Katherine only spent 6 hours with her husband before she was abandoned. Later, she finds he went off and married two other women after her. Now, struggling with the scandal and the lack of her dowry, she’s asking her husband’s half brother for help. I liked Katherine, I liked that she owned her own business and it was important to her.

Christian initially was resistant to helping his brother’s wives. He comes around though and I thought he was extremely sweet, caring and gentle with Katherine. He also cares deeply about veteran rights and wants to lobby parliament to create better circumstances for returned soldiers.

There was something about this one I generally liked. I thought the plot was pretty unique. It was a little slow. But the sex was really sweet and romantic to me, and I enjoyed their relationship unfolding. Definitely eager to try the second book in the series. I tried a few of MacGregor's from her Cavendish series and wasn't a fan so I was pleasantly surprised by this one.



Content Warnings:

Infidelity – heroine experiences lies and deceit from her trigamist husband
Loss of parents at a young age, carriage accident

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

33% - kiss
41% - brief kiss
45% - kiss
49% - kisses
57% 🔥 - kisses, oral for her, blow job (incomplete), mutual masturbation
62% - kiss
70% 🔥 - kisses, fingering, missionary
78% 🔥 - sex
95% - kiss

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: Third person for both characters (fairly balanced)

Should I read in order?
It’s not totally necessary, but I think at least reading the second book in the series prior to this one will be helpful. (The Virgin and the Viscount) There is quite a bit of character overlap between those two, and some events are referenced that happen in the second book.

Basic plot:
Emma is stuck. Widowed and caretaker to her brother, she is under her step son’s control and desperately trying to find a way out. She latches onto the possibility of being able to sail to America and sell her father’s books in exchange for helping teach the newly titled Beau how to interact with society.

Give this a try if you want:
- Instructor/student feel – heroine gives lessons to the hero about propriety
- Lower steam – one full scene, plenty of kisses and some fade to black/alluded to scenes
- Regency time period (1813)
- London setting
- Nuerodivergent side character – heroine’s younger brother is autistic (content warning for some ableism/hurtful comments)
- Marriage of convenience (more of necessity and it occurs about halfway through)

Ages:
- Heroine is 23, hero is 27/28


My thoughts:
Gosh there is something about Charis Michaels writing that just stuns me. I have to pause after certain passages just thinking about how utterly poetic and beautiful it is. I love her writing, so so much.

This book was my favorite of the series. I read the first two awhile ago so I can’t recall as many details, but in this one I felt the tension more, I cared about the characters more, and I thought it was more romantic.

Something Michaels does amazingly well is rescue plots. They are so satisfying to me, and I love that her heroine’s absolutely aren’t helpless. They aren’t waiting for something to save them. I adore her heroines, I always am left wanting to be best friends with them. But she also has these wonderful heroes that step up and assist the heroine, support her, befriend her, and help. They don’t take over so the heroine feels she’s left without choices.

In this one, Emma is being monitored by her step son – he is hoping to get his hands on their fortune. She takes care of her lovely brother Teddy, who is the heir to their family’s fortune made from selling books. Teddy doesn’t talk much, is fascinated by birds and books, and doesn’t like loud noises or areas like balls. He’s an absolute dear and their relationship really touched my heart.

Beau is our hero that never wanted the title, but is being given it anyway after finding his brother is illegitimate. He does a lot of growing in this story. A lot. And parts of it were a touch painful, possibly even disappointing, but so raw and real. And he comes through in the end, when I was getting a bit worried about it all.

I do think this book could have been cut a bit. It had a decent amount going on it it and I think with a bit less of that and a little bit deeper focus on other parts it would have been perfection. As it is, I really enjoyed it. Her kisses and tension are some of my favorite.


Here’s a few random parts that I wanted to note from the book

Just beautiful

“Beau,” she said. “Either you enjoy me or you don’t, but I think I deserve more than the fraught, empty excuses with which you ply your other conquests. If my inexperience is unappealing to you, say it. I understand -”
He groaned and yanked her to him. She dropped her hat. “Your inexperienced,” he hissed, “is bloody irresistible to me. Stop talking for five seconds and feel the evidence of how much I want you.” He kissed hard. “Even through the layers of that terrible gray skirt - “
“Your repeated insults of my attire are as rude as they are unnecessary. I’ve told you I have no choice in the mat-”
He cut her off with a roll of his hips, one quick, meaningful thrust, and she gasped. Her eyes flew to his face.
“Do not tell me I don’t want you, Emma,” he said quietly into her ear. “I have wanted you since the first time you lifted that bloody veil and blinked at me with those big brown eyes. I lie awake at night, fantasizing about all the ways I might possibly contrive to have you.” He rolled his hips again, and she sucked in a breath.
He swallowed hard. “You are wrong about the other women. I’ll tell you, and freely so, that I love everything about the way you look and feel. Your hair, your mouth, your eyes. But I have known beautiful women before. With you, Emma...with you, there is more.” He paused, breathing in the scent of her hair. It smelled like vanilla and lemons and her.
She made a whimpering sound, and he dragged his beard across her jaw and kissed her again. When he came up for breath, he continued, forcing out the words. “I am not put off by your innocence. I am struggling to protect it.”

I adore Beau

“I was thinking that we might suggest a meal together in honor of the...occassion,” Emmaline tried, pushing the curtain aside to look out the window. “It’s too late in the day for a wedding breakfast, obviously, but it was such a collective effort, wasn’t it? It feels almost rude to remove ourselves now.”
“No meal,” he said, sitting back on the opposite seat. “It’s not the slightest bit rude. Come here.”
Emmaline dropped the curtain and looked up. “You’re not hungry?”
“Yes, I am, in fact. Quite hungry. I said, come here.”

Content Warnings:

Almost drowning (on page)
Judgments against mental ability
Risk of being forced into mental institution against will
Fire with injuries remembered

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Pg 132 – kiss
Pg 186 – kiss
Pg 210 – kiss
Pg 274 – kisses
Pg 288 – sex scene, missionary
Pg 310 – fade to black sex
Pg 354 – fade to black sex

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖 
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋 
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ 
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+ 
Humor: Yes 
Perspective: First person, split between hero and heroine’s perspective (about equal)

<b>Should I read in order? </b>
Yes! You’ll get a much better understanding of what happened to Liz to get her on the planet and the planet itself if you read book 1. This book really jumps in without too much explaining and will be so much better with reading book 1 first. Plus it’s awesome. So read it. :P 

<b>Basic plot:</b>
Liz is one of the humans that has been kidnapped by aliens in the night. All women aged 22, they were placed on a planet for later pick up. Though this planet hosts a clan of their own aliens – tall, horned, blue and ready to mate. Raahosh has always wanted a mate, and he decides to take Liz until she realizes she wants it too.

<b>Give this a try if you want:</b>
- High steam – plenty of open door scenes in this one
- Alien hero, human heroine
- Kidnapped trope
- Virgin heroine
- Enemies to lovers
- Hero loves first
- Scarred hero

<b>My thoughts:</b>
I didn’t like this one as much as the first book! I didn’t think there was quite as much humor, and I wasn’t as in love with the conflicts the characters had here.  Still, it was steamy and I was happy to be back in the Ice Planet Barbarian world. 

Raahosh comes from a broken family. He wants a mate and family so badly, and can’t help but take Liz away when she refuses to listen to reason. He knows she’s his mate, she needs a cootie, and he’s willing to kidnap her to make it happen. Raahosh is very sweet and protective of Liz and I adore that side. Liz is a talker and Raahosh tends to keep it quiet. 

Liz is angry. And can you blame her? Kidnapped by aliens in her nightie, forced to let a cootie in, then abducted by a horned scarred alien that wants her pregnant. She’s independent and wants to show it – she’s not going to sit around and wait for her mate to provide, she’s going to be out there hunting with him. 

I had a hard time connecting with Liz. She’s strong and opinionated and steam rolls over Raahosh quite a few times. I just felt like their love was more forced by their circumstances in this one? I wanted more of them connecting with each other instead of danger pushing them together I think. 

I got the new version of the book. So I had bonus materials/epilogue. I think without this the ending would have felt super rushed. I still don’t love the ending. I think it fits the couple for the most part though, I can see them being happy with this situation. 

So overall, I enjoyed quite a bit of it but book 1 is my favorite of the two. 



Content Warnings:

Dubious consent – hero pushes the heroine’s boundaries, she ends up wanting intimacy while telling him NO – but it’s because of her cootie (lol)
Kidnapping
Alien abduction – remembered
Rape – discussed happening to others on the initial abduction
Hunting/killing animals on page
Loss of parents remembered, death of a child sibling

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Pg 45 🔥 – mutual mastubation
Pg 75 🔥 – kiss and oral for heritage
Pg 145 🔥 - kisses, oral for her, missionary, continued foreplay and sex afterwards
Pg 185 🔥 - hand/blow job for him, fingering o for her
Pg 244 🔥 - doggy style sex
The rest may be from the expanded epilogue in the updated version? Not sure
Pg 260 🔥 - oral for her, followed by reverse cowgirl with him sitting
Pg 288 🔥 – oral for her, missionary
Pg 300 🔥 – oral for her, finger in the butt that makes her mad, followed by hand job
Total pages 314

Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖 
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋 
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ 
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥 
Humor: Yes 
Perspective: First person heroine, third hero. Majority is the heroine’s perspective. 

Basic plot: 

We have a parallel universe – and everyone has a twin. Sjofn and Seoafin are switching places for 1 million dollars. Seoafin has been searching for adventure and this seems like the one of a lifetime. As they switch and Seoafin is plopped into a wedding ceremony with a huge, angry fiance that hates her, she realizes that Sjofn has left out some things in their communication. 

Give this a try if you want: 

- Fantasy romance – like I said above parallel universe with many similarities but plenty of differences too. It feels ‘historical’ in that the transport is ships and horses, candles and fires instead of lights 

- Great mix of romance, steam, and plot. It’s pretty dispersed throughout. 

- Medium to higher steam – there’s a number of scenes, many were on the shorter side, or fade to black, but there’s still plenty of full scenes. 

- You’re okay with some violence, gore, and grief 

- Captured/arranged marriage/forced marriage feel – heroine is thrown into a wedding ceremony and has no opportunity to say no 

- Royalty main characters – Finnie is a princess and Frey is the leader of his house 

Ages: 

- Hero is 36 but I couldn’t find how old the heroine is. I want to say early 20s? 

My thoughts: 

This book was exactly what I needed, I think. I usually read historical romance and this was just different enough from historical, but still similar with the lack of modern inventions. 

The hero, Frey, can be a total jerk. When you think of the stereotypical alpha character, he fits that in the beginning of the book. He’s a huge warrior, he does what he wants and expects everyone to obey him. He isn’t sweet or tender with Finnie at first. At first. But I got to see the most wonderful melting towards each other as the book went on and I absolutely fell in love with Frey. He becomes so protective, tender, caring, and sweet. And while he crosses the line of relationship consent (not sexually) I forgave him – because I love him. 

Finnie was a delight. I really loved her character. She was happy, spunky, and resourceful. She was the perfect mix of being able to get things done, but needing assistance in this new world too. I think I fell in love with her when she was dropped off at a cabin and abandoned and she took care of business. I really just loved this couple so, so much. 

I do think the ending felt kind of wrapped up quickly and rushed. There were some major issues at play here, and yes when you’re faced with death and grief maybe it puts those issues in perspective to not matter – still I just felt it was kind of glanced over after being such a big problem in their relationship. 

I loved that Frey didn’t shy away from his love. He expressed it regularly, even if he doesn’t say it right away. 

The intimate scenes – I wish I had more full ones. The tension was so, so good. So good. I adored it. And then when we got full sex, I was just a touch disappointed. It felt like it was more rushed, or it was beginning well into the scene, or it would cut the black after the beginning. I just wanted pages and pages of details haha. Still, I was content with it. (I’m just greedy about good intimate scenes) 

I had some minor complaints about the writing – but again this is probably because I’m coming from reading 99% historical romance. So reading things repeatedly, like “ohmygod” “that’s so cool” “you’re so hot” “ohmygodohmygodohmygod!” “he’s so hot! Look how hot he is!” “oh boy” was kind of frustrating for me. But that’s totally a personal preference and honestly it didn’t bother me that much, overall. 

This book is written in first person perspective from the heroine’s point of view and third for the hero’s. Honestly, it flowed pretty well for me. (I am a third person only lover!) 

Content Warnings: 

Loss of parents remembered 

Death on page 

Violence 

Talk of traditions resulting in rape (not on page, I believe it’s referencing book 2 customs) 

Hunting scenes, use fur and pelts 

Child abuse – alluded to 

 

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes – I probably missed some because I was so into reading this! But I think I got all the ‘full’ scenes: 

Pg 89 – kisses, touches, and light fingering that’s interrupted 

Pg 119 – kisses 

Pg 197 🔥 – kisses and missionary sex 

Pg 204 🔥 - missionary but he goes very slow until she orgasms, refusing to go harder 

Pg 224 – fade to black 

Pg 290 🔥 - oral for her, oral for him (incomplete), then missionary sex while under the powers of an aphrodisiac tea 

Pg 334 – her on top, then alluded to sex (It’s pretty short) 

Pg 355 🔥 - missionary sex 

 

Overall: 1.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️ 
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖 
Feels: 🦋 
Emotional Depth: 💔💔 
Sexual Tension: ⚡ 
Romance: 💞
Sensuality: 💋💋 
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (Ranges from 1-3) 
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (I was generous with some scenes, they were on the shorter side) 
Humor: I think there was meant to be some humor but I didn’t find it too funny

Basic plot:
Caragh leads a gang of smugglers and regularly runs around in trousers and makes deals in taverns. When a pirate captures her, she knows her reputation is going to be officially ruined so she jumps in his bed and they hump their way across the high seas.

Give this a try if you want:
- Huge hero, tiny heroine (she’s described as coming halfway up his chest)
- Pirate hero with lots of sea travel and a bit of a road trip romance feel – about half of the book takes place on the ship and half at various ports
- High steam – many, many scenes here, though a lot are quite short and vague, there’s enough longer ones to count as a 5 steam I thought. Some kink elements (see locations of intimate scenes below for details)
- Captive trope – heroine is captured by the hero at the beginning of the book

Ages:
- Heroine is 20, hero is 25

My thoughts:

Let me start with one of the most absurd lines I’ve ever read in romance novel. 

<i>
He tangled his hand in her hair as he positioned her head for him to plunder her mouth. He intended to control the kiss, but Caragh’s hunger matched his.
Their moans and grunts blended together to create a symphony only they would appreciate.
</i>

Mmm yes, moans and grunts, lovely already, but knowing only they appreciate it? So hot. 

Sadly this book was absolutely not my thing. I wanted a sexy, dirty pirate. And I got one. But, Rowan was also really dumb and I didn’t like that. :P 

This book just didn’t make sense to me in so many parts. The plot kind of ran here and there but didn’t have a smooth flow throughout the story. Sex was jammed in every which way (which is usually woohoo, but here it was just strange! And there were a lot of super short scenes that were not even worth it. I would have rather omitted those, left the hotter scenes in and spent that time on relationship development or character depth.) NOBODY CARED

THE BROTHER DIED! Poor Eddie….

I was not feeling any sexual tension. I didn’t care about or like the characters. I didn’t feel any romance. I am still not sure they have a happily ever after – I am not convinced of their love or trust. 

The light bdsm aspect just felt...weird. I am all for some bondage, spanking, domestic discipline, control aspects in sex...but here it just did not feel right. It felt like it was thrown in for wow factor and not actually developed/fitting with the characters.

I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about this book any more because I already went through the entire thing again after putting off this review for weeks and marking what I wanted to note from highlights below. And now my eye is twitching. So I think I’ll just stop here. 

Would I read any more from this series? Not even if you paid me. Would I read another Celeste Barclay? Absolutely! This was my first by her and I’m hoping maybe if I get out of this pirate world I might like something else more. 






Here’s random parts that I wanted to note from the book

Maybe it’s because I haven’t read too much domestic discipline but this just didn’t seem like it fit with what he was actually doing/acting like.
<i>
Rowan brushed her hair away from her temple and slowly dropped a kiss. Although she stood there with nothing covering her breasts, it was the first true act of intimacy between them, and the kiss charged the air between them. 
“I’ll never act in anger. By the time I’ve ready to deliver your punishment, it’ll be with a calmness. My intention isn’t to harm you, Caragh, but to be sure you understand there are certain things I won’t tolerate.”
</i>

When he blows it in her and is regretting it
<i>
“Rowan, I know how babes are made. I understand the risks I took, but I’m the one who took them. It’ll be me who’ll manage any consequences. Rest easy, I’m not going to make any demands.”
</i>

Okay so you were so worried your reputation was going to be ruined, you jumped into bed with him but now you don’t care if you have children? 

And they’ve known each other for about an hour -
<i>
No other woman he’d ever known could compare to Caragh, and Rowan suspected in that moment that he’d met his match and his mate.
</i>

And a bit later
<i>
A mantle of possessiveness cloaked him as he looked at the woman on his bed. He’d never been possessive of any woman, and there were few things since he left home that inspired such emotion.
</i>

And when they are facing possible attack with another ship
<i>
Rowan looked up at Caragh once more, and while he was angry that she risked climbing the rigging, he had to admit it was obvious she was experienced. And if they were about to into battle, he wanted her high and out of sight. She would be safer there if they were boarded. 
</i>
The immediately after
<i>
“Do you know why you’re to be punished?”
Caragh slowly shook her head. She truly didn’t know what angered him. 
“Did I not warn you about taking needless risks? That I would protect you from yourself if need be?”
She nodded her head but stayed silent.
“And just what do you think you did climbing up that mast?”
</i>
Then he spanks her and tells her to enjoy it. And thank him afterwards. Um you were HAPPY she went there and said it was the safest place! Why are you beating her again?

They return to her home and there are other pirates there, raiding. Rowan tells her <i> “Stop, Caragh. I’ll go ashore with my men. I’ll end whatever is happening. When it’s safe, I’ll return for you. Go to our cabin and wait until I’m back. We shall sail closer before we lower the dinghies, but I must ready the crew.” </i>

With that, Caragh goes to the cabin, changes and dives off the boat to swim to save her family/friends. There, her brother dies, and they realize it’s Rowan’s cousin that’s behind the raid. Rowan’s cousin wants Caragh her himself and Rowan invites him back to the boat to see if it will work out (Ummm wtf is happening???) 

Once there, Rowan makes Caragh do her hair and wear a translucent gown. Rowan offers her to his cousin. 

Here’s one example of what I had non stop issues with in this book – here, Caragh states 
<i>
Caragh sucked in a breath. She wouldn’t go easily into this arrangement. Not after all.
</i>
FOUR paragraphs later we get this shit. 
<i>
Caragh had made her decision. Once more in a position where control was stripped from her, the one thing she could decide for herself was how she turned herself over. She could kick and scream, or she could make the most of it. She walked to Ruairi and ast on his lap, her legs between his. She turned to look once more at Rowan before she leaned forward and kissed Ruairi.
</i>

Wow, your fire and will to not go into this arrangement easily really lasted *eye roll

But really, what the F*** is happening here. Rowan LOVES her SO MUCH!! So so much he cares about her and her safety that he has to spank her every single night and get a blow job. He’s never ever felt like this. He’s never let a woman on top during sex. He’s never let a volcano of pirate sperm inside a vagina until her. She is THE ONE. So….why is he giving her up so easily? And why is she just going along with it? Obviously she has no love for Rowan if she can just as easily switch over to another man.

Here, we get our explanation of why Rowan would do this. Are you ready?

<i>
She was willing to risk her life to get away from him, and his heart broke. He couldn’t look at her, not after she rejected him and abandoned him. He decided in that moment that he would give her to Ruairi.

</i>

Wowwwww – you literally brought her home. Her HOME. And her friends and family were being ATTACKED BY PIRATES. She was going to rescue them and in fact goes and sees her brother’s throat being slit and gets revenge on that man that did it. But you are so fn stupid you think she was doing whatever she could to just get away from you? I am just so frustrated at this point. It doesn’t make any sense. None.

BUT, okay now that her boobs are flying around and her vagina is ready to grab your cousin’s cock then you get mad and roar and are going to kill your cousin. And then you admit how dumb you are.

<i>
“You gave up on me. You gave me to him.”
Caragh’s words permeated his fog. He spun around and backed her against the wall, using his arms to bracket her in. “I’m not the one who gave up. I’m not the one who ran, or rather swam away at the first chance for escape. You left me.”
I did no such thing. I left your ship, but I never intended to leave you.”
“What?”
“You wouldn’t let me go, but that’s my home. My family. I knew you would follow me. I trusted you would support me, help me fight whoever attacked my people.”
</i>

Nope, instead he gave you to the person whose crew just slit your brothers throat. Yeah, remember poor Eddie??? And you almost rode this guy’s cock. 

Speaking of Ruairi
<i>
“You love her. I wouldn’t have gone through with it, even if it was tempting. Why did you wait so long? It almost went father than I was prepared for. She’s quite the seductress.”
</i>

Ummmm yeah you were gonna stop her anyyyyyy minute, right? Your cock was literally wet from her vagina….

But, everyone, it’s okay. Because all of this actually proves his love.
<i>
“Your love is something precious that I should have cared for and protected, just as I promised to protect you. I broke that pledge to you tonight. How could I have done that to you?”
“Because you love me, too. If you didn’t, you couldn’t have been hurt enough to react as you did. If you didn’t care about me, if you weren’t hurting so deeply, then you wouldn’t have struck out as you did.”
</i>

Mmmmk

Oh! Yeah! And you know the brother that died??? Here’s basically all the closure you’re going to get. Obviously everyone hated Eddie.

<i>
Caragh’s humor sobered as she bid farewell to her family, but they understood the nature of separation better than most. They’d avoided the topic of her brother Eddie, but as she prepared to leave Bedruthan Steps possibly for the last time, she looked at each other family, and said a prayer of goodbye to her little brother. No one had blamed her, but she could feel the hollowness they all shared.
</i>

I thought Caragh’s catty and nasty behavior towards Alane just gross. She was a woman from Rowan’s past, he says he’s done with her and Caragh is just aggressive from the beginning and I found it awful. 

She calls her a bitch when they meet and then she propositions her and lets her eat her out – then she pushes her off the bed onto her butt to ‘show her’ or whatever...I don’t know but the whole thing was super distasteful to me.

Yes Alane turns out to by a psycho, but maybe she wouldn’t have if you would have handled that encounter differently.

Ahhh we are finally at the end of the book. The epilogue continued to reveal to me that Rowan is one of the worst heroes with these glimpses into fatherhood

<i>
“Yes, well, you aren’t the one who has to wipe away their tears and try to fit them both on your lap with a belly as big as a barrel in the way, all while this wee imp tugs on your skirts. You just get to deal with your men. A far easier task, I would say. Care to swtich?”
“Not on your life, mo Caragh. But I do like to watch. You amazing with how you wrangle this brood! Just as well as you did your smugglers. Our children listen to you better than they do me, and I consider myself far more intimidating.”
</i>

Content Warnings:

Spanking for punishment
Domestic discipline/spanking in sex
Anal/anal play
Death of a family member on page
Death of parents
Violence and gore
Dubious consent at best (more probably consensual nonconsent feeling)
Miscarriage on page
Torture and beating of main female character on page

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

10% - 🔥 kisses, breast play, cock touches, fingering for her, sex on the table
14% - 🔥 basically immediately follows previous scene, some brief dialogue, then he carries her to the bed. Her on top. Followed by him standing and her on all 4s on the bed, spanking, oral for her, he finishes with his hand.
15% - finger in the butt
18% - missionary, it’s pretty vague and not too long
20% - 🔥 oral for her, sex, fairly short and vague again but followed by a blow job
23% - 🔥 anal
30% - 🔥 spanking for discipline, light fingering during, then blow job after
35% - a paragraph of finding release together, very vague. Followed soon by alluded to scenes of spanking always followed by blowjobs.
39% - kisses and lap dance, breast touches and cock touches between Caragh and Ruairi (Rowan’s cousin)
42% - sex, like 2-3 short paragraphs and not descriptive
46% - one sentence of sex, no details
48% - a few sentences of sex, not much details
55% - Caragh engages in oral with Rowan’s prior mistress
56% - 🔥 spanking, finger, and blowjob all at the same time!
57% - alluded to sex
59% - one sentence alluded to sex
73% - 🔥 hand job, very short (maybe 2 paragraphs), followed by fingering, missionary sex
77% - alluded to sex and spankings
77% - kisses, blow job (incomplete) spanking, fingering, then table sex (this is done similarly, and at the same time as Rowan’s cousin Ruairi and Senga get it on in the same room)
82% - 🔥 blindfolded sex followed by blow job

 I might have missed some. No I will never ever open this book again and check.

Is everyone ready for the longest review ever? No, you don’t want to read that? Okay….

<b>TL;DR</b> – 
The Kerrigan Byrne is absolutely fabulous, but give yourself a refresher of The Duke in the Dragon Tattoo first. (5 stars)
The Christi Caldwell was forgettable. (3 stars)
The Amalie Howard scandalized me and I immediately moved some of her other books higher on my TBR list. (5 stars)
The Janna MacGregor was very steamy, but I wanted more from the characters (I haven’t read much of her work so that maybe would help me enjoy) – gave it an extra star because I loved the desk scene lol (4 stars)
The Stacy Reid was amazing – I would have loved a full length novel because I was invested in the characters and their feelings. (5 stars)

I'll forget I read the Caldwell and rate the whole thing at 5 stars. Lovely anthology!

Wait, you do want to read my 5 pages of thoughts including content warnings and sex locations?? Then read on!

<b>The Earl of the Train by Kerrigan Byrne</b>

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖 
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋 
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ 
Romance: 💞💞💞 
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 
Humor: Yes, a bit

<b>Should I read in order? </b>
Yes – you’re going to want to read or reread The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo before diving into this one (And if you haven’t read The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo, you’ll want to start at the beginning of the series with The Highwayman)

<b>Basic plot:</b>
Sebastian is there to kill Arthur – but when he goes to do to the deed, he finds a sleeping woman in his bed instead – the very woman he had helped kidnapped years ago.

<b>Give this a try if you want:</b>
- A bit of second chance feel – their history was established in The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo but they never had a relationship
- Medium to high steam for novella – 3 full scenes with 1 scene containing 2 separate acts (see end of review for details)
- Forced proximity – these two are together pretty much the whole novella
- Pirate, turned nobleman hero and widow, turned companion heroine
- Victorian time period (The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is listed as 1858 and I think this one is a few years after that)

<b>My thoughts:</b>
How can Kerrigan Byrne break my heart, put it back together, and make me breathless all in one small novella? I don’t know, but this is why she’s a top author for me. 

I do wish I had skimmed through The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo before beginning this. I haven’t read it since 2018 so it’s been a hot minute and I only remember the basic details of that story. But Sebastian and Veronica’s story starts there, and the ending shows Sebastian’s betrayal that has lead him to this place in his life. 

I was sucked with into this story with our heroine and hero being together almost immediately and working together throughout the story. I loved it!

Other thoughts:

I love this because my husband does this all the time haha
<I>
She splayed her hands against his chest and pushed with all her adorable strength. He even let her budge him a little, to soothe her ire. 
</i>

Talking about his lips
<i>
“I know they’ve found their way between the thighs of a common strumpet,” she accused. “They could be diseased.”
</i>

This is so adorable
<i>
“But I am also a man of my word. I will walk in your wake and watch you take flight. I will never raise a hand or even a voice to you. I will cherish and adore you and try to make you fall in love with me every day until you do. I’ll let you win arguments at least eighty percent of the time, even though I’m usually right. I will give you two orgasms at least to every single one of mine-”
</i>

Content Warnings:

Signs of abuse/alluded to abuse – physical, mental and emotional 
Remembered abuse of husband
Miscarriage by violence
Remembered death/murder
Human/Child trafficking mentioned
Infertility discussed

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes – this story is from 1%-21% of the anthology:

Note: Heroine is ‘experienced’ because she was married for a number of years. But she didn’t know females could orgasm until she witnessed it while she was captive (after the death of her husband)

8% - kisses and fingering orgasm for her (38% of this novella)
14% - oral orgasm for her, followed by a blowjob for him (67% of this novella)
19% - kisses, missionary sex (90% of this novella)

<b>Loved and Found by Christi Caldwell</b>

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖 
Feels: 🦋🦋 
Emotional Depth: 💔💔 
Sexual Tension: ⚡ 
Romance: 💞 
Sensuality: 💋💋 
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥 
Humor: Maybe a touch

<b>Should I read in order? </b>
This book takes place during/after the wedding of Martin and Christina, who are the stars of It Happened One Winter (book 4 of the Scandalous Affairs series). There is also a brief scene between Edie and her brother, where he references events of his marriage (this would be His Duchess For a Day – The Heart of a Scandal #4)

<b>Basic plot:</b>
This is a second chance romance where our newly widowed heroine is finally free of her awful marriage and by chance meets the man she fell in love with long ago – both believe themselves wronged by each other and must work through their hurt.

<b>Give this a try if you want:</b>
- Second chance – they were friends and lovers before our story picks up in 1829
- Soldier hero – he as a Lieutenant in the King’s Army
- Snowed in

<b>My thoughts:</b>
This one was all right. Honestly when I saw Caldwell with this line up, I was surprised. She just didn’t seem to fit with the other authors feels to me. 

The thing that made me sad about this story was it felt like most of the romance and real relationship building happened off page. We get the prologue, which was fun, but they are little kids. Then everything that happens after as they grow up is skipped over and we come into this mess of hurt feelings. It really took away the feels for the romance for me. 

I think if you love second chance trope this will be a bigger hit for you than myself. It also wasn’t too steamy with 1 scene. (Which, I wasn’t surprised but I was hoping she would step it up being in the same anthology as Reid, Byrne, and Howard.)

Random note for shelves

Hero cries in this novella

Content Warnings:

death of an (evil) spouse
carriage accident on page
ptsd episodes experienced by the hero on page
talk of possible infertility

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes – book is from 22%-39% of the anthology:

28% - kiss (35% into this novella)
37% - sex scene (88% into this novella)

<b>The Wolf of Westmore by Amalie Howard</b>

Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖 
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋 
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡ 
Romance: 💞💞💞 
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 
Humor: Just a bit

<b>Should I read in order? </b>
If you want the full knowledge of character cast, start with book 1 of the Everleigh Sisters series, The Beast of Beswick. I do think this one works decently as a stand alone. There is some minor page time with the Marquess of Roth and Isobel (the characters from book 2, The Rakehell of Roth) though.

<b>Basic plot:</b>
Lady Jocelyn and Lord Wulfric Bane are enemies. Born to rival families, Jocelyn’s father’s actions has only called Wulfric’s desire for revenge to come to the forefront. Jocelyn knows who she wants to share a night of passion despite the danger – and she disguises herself to buy the Duke of Westmore at a charity auction.

<b>Give this a try if you want:</b>
- Late Regency, England (1822)
- Tiny heroine, huge hero
- Ruined heroine – and hero...in a way
- Little Red Riding Hood feels
- Medium to high steam with light kink – 3 full scenes that include spanking, light bondage, and throat play
- Sold hero

Ages:
- Heroine is 23, hero is “older than that”

<b>My thoughts:</b>
I really enjoyed this novella! I’m a bit behind on Howard’s work. I wish I had read the prior novel but this one does work well as a stand alone.

Lady Jocelyn has always felt disposable and looked over by her father. She’s determined to make her own way, at least in who she loses her virginity to. Overall I liked Jocelyn, though I wasn’t overly in love with how she exposed their relationship. 

Wulfric was my type of hero – dark and gruff and quite naughty in the bedroom. 

The character depth felt pretty good for a novella and the sex was steamy. I do wish the kink had been better presented to the heroine in some of the scenes though. She seemed a bit...concerned some of the time and it lessened my enjoyment a touch.

Content Warnings:

Death of a friend/family member/parent
Mentions of opium dens
Remembrance of abuse (emotional, verbal, and neglect)

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes – this story is from 40%-59% of the anthology:

45% - kisses, breast play, spanking, fingering, and missionary sex (26% into the novella)
50% - kiss (52% into the novella)
54% - kisses, oral for her on a desk followed by desk sex with a bit of light choking – he grabs her throat but not enough to constrict her breathing completely (73% into the novella)
58% - tied up, gagged play with a feather and riding crop (heroine tied) (94% of the novella)

<b>Put Up Your Dukes by Janna MacGregor</b>

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖 
Feels: 🦋🦋 
Emotional Depth: 💔💔 
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡ 
Romance: 💞💞💞 
Sensuality: 💋💋 
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥 
Humor: Not really

<b>Should I read in order? </b>
I’m unsure – it was okay as a stand alone but I was also left feeling a bit like I was missing something. I’m not sure if these characters are mentioned much in prior works. (For example,  I did read Rogue Most Wanted (The Cavensham Heiresses #5) and I don’t recall these characters in it but I do recall The Midnight Cryer being mentioned. So I have a feeling one should perhaps read in order...

<b>Basic plot:</b>
Martin and Amelia have been estranged in their marriage for 5 years and all over conflicts with The Midnight Cryer, Martin’s titillating newspaper gossip column. Amelia has some favors to ask of Martin, and Martin is making changes with the newspaper that Amelia never expected...

<b>Give this a try if you want:</b>
- Regency time period (1819)
- Second chance romance feels
- High steam – these two go at it like rabbits


<b>My thoughts:</b>
I struggled with this one a little bit. Part of it was I just wasn’t super into a gossip rag newspaper plot. It just made the hero feel a little uncaring and unpleasant. Second chance also isn’t usually my favorite. But overall I think it worked here. The fact that they have been estranged for a number of years made me get into them rekindling their relationship, but it was a bit strange to me how she had still been seeing him regularly and being intimate with him. It made them feel like strangers exchanging bedroom slots at a brothel or something. 

Still, there were a few parts that tugged on my heart a bit. And, well, I REALLY loved the desk scene. So that right there boosted the rating for me. I haven’t read too much of her work so I’m not sure how this book fits in with her other novels. That might have helped my enjoyment with it.

Content Warnings:

Thoughts of infertility (heroine has had sex every Wednesday for 5 years but no children yet)

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes – this story is from 59%-81% of the anthology:

63% (18% of this novella) – blowjob
64% - Hero tells heroine to undress and touch herself, oral for her, sex (counting both of these as one scene because they are so close together – he tells her to go upstairs and the second scene begins)
67% - (36% into this novella) kisses, missionary sex
70% (50% into this novella)- desk sex
75% - brief kiss
78% (86% into this novella) - kisses and missionary sex

<b>Duke of Every Sin by Stacy Reid</b>

Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖 
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋 
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔 
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡ 
Romance: 💞💞💞 
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥 
Humor: A bit

<b>Should I read in order? </b>
I am entirely unsure. I couldn’t figure out if this fits into any of her series, and as this is my first book ever by Reid, I had nothing to go on. I think I saw a review mention all novels in this collection hold secondary characters HEAs so I’m assuming it fits in somewhere. Let me know below if you know!

<b>Basic plot:</b>
Verity is losing her nephew – she watches him be placed on the Duke of Bainbridge’s door step and waits for the moment to grab him back. But when the duke takes him inside, she has no choice but to insert herself into his life as well.

<b>Give this a try if you want:</b>
- A child as one of the main focuses of the story
- Marriage of convenience
- Celibate hero
- Medium steam – 2 full scenes but there’s lots of kisses!

Ages:
- Heroine is 19, hero is 28


<b>My thoughts:</b>
A bit of this felt a little grasping to be ‘trope-y’ – like how the Duke was so feared and evil but I never really understood why, or really felt that in his character like I have in other ‘dark and beastly’ heroes. I also thought the marriage proposal was a little random – I was actually hoping he would hire her as a nursemaid or something to give them some close proximity – she could stay with Thomas and he could have someone help with the baby when he has no experience. The marriage felt a little weird. He basically says he marries her to stop her from doing something rash about the child. But you know what?? I don’t care. I really ended up enjoying this novel, so I’m letting those small ‘huh?’ things go. 

I adored how protective and caring Ethan was from the beginning. When he went to Verity’s family after they were engaged, gosh I just melted. 

I love that he watches her sleep. Creepy? Don’t care.

Artie was a lovely side character and I enjoyed him.

I just really enjoyed this book. It felt emotional to me and that really enhanced their intimacy. I am eager to read more Reid after this.

Other thoughts:

LOVED this part 
<i>
The earl grimaced. “I...you might not be aware of it given that you have stayed away from the social scene for a couple of years, Your Grace, but...I…” he tugged on his cravat. “My daughter’s reputation-”
“I am aware of her selfless bravery and loyalty,” he said, “It has much bearing on my offer. It is rare to find such quantities in a lady of the ton.”
</i>

And I LOVE this line – ALWAYS!
<i>
“Open up,” he murmured, biting her lower lip.
</i>

Content Warnings:

Post partum depression
Abandoned child
Abandoned while pregnant (side character)
Carriage accident resulting in death

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes – this story is from 81%-99% of the anthology:

87% - kiss (33% into this novella)
91% - kiss (55% into this novella) 
93% - kisses, fingering orgasm for her, oral for her, missionary (66% into this novella)
94% - kisses and missionary (72% into this novella)
96% - brief mention of remembered sex, her on top (83% into this novella)
97% - kiss (88% into this novella)

Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a decent amount, especially with the side characters

Should I read in order?
It would be pleasant to read in order, as characters from the 2 previous books do make appearances. There are a few short scenes with this hero in the prior books too. Still, you would probably be fine picking this one up on its own.

Basic plot:
Brandon is determined to find out what’s going on with the plot to take some of his land by moving land borders. He goes undercover to the map makers house and applies for a footman position to collect information.

Give this a try if you want:
- I’m assuming this is Regency around 1816-1818? I didn’t see a date but I have book 2 marked as 1816
- Medium steam – there’s 3 full scenes and plenty of kisses, but it didn’t quite hold the heat of some of her other novels I’ve read
- Diversity lifted up – an Arab hero that shares his culture, family and food customs throughout the story – I also loved that the heroine had Arab heritage with her grandparents
- Class difference/forbidden love feel – the hero is the heroine’s footman at first, but really the heroine is a tradeswoman and the hero a marquess
- Secret identity trope
- Working women – heroine is a cartographer


My thoughts:
Sadly, this book had a few plot devices that really aren’t my thing, and they ended up bothering me a bit. But I liked this book more than book 2 (Book 1 is still my favorite of the series). I am loving the general world building here and the family members interacting together.

In this story, there are quite a few secrets going on. And the heroine is with her husband (who is NOT the hero) for a good 30% of the book before things start to unravel (and it wasn’t how I was expecting it to go! So that was refreshing, in a way).

Brandon is being tricked out of some important land when a map is commissioned on the property lines – there’s been some strategic changes that remove a water sources important for his tenants and property. Instead of causing a scene, he goes undercover and applies to be a footman in the house of the mapmaker. It leads to some funny scenarios, like the heroine having to brush out her own skirts after he does it because as a Marquess, he has no idea how to do footman duties.

Rose has such a unique talent and career – she’s a  cartographer and draws and creates maps. Of course in this world run by men, she cannot even claim her talents as her own and has even turned control of her shop over to her husband for the most part.

I loved Rose in the beginning. She was strong and I so was rooting for her to gain independence from her husband and be able to fully embrace her talents and not have to hide them.

As the story went on though, I was weighed down. Waiting a very long time for the drama with her husband to be resolved diminished the romance between Brandon and Rose for me. There are a lot of secrets. And hurt, and hiding, and accusing. And I thought it was unfair, really both of them made bad decisions but it just drug on a bit too long for me. Rose’s character kind of took a turn I wasn’t expecting. She spent a lot of time feeling sorry for herself and angry at Brandon and it got frustrating after awhile (I’m all for the needed breakdown after an event like that – she just seemed like such a go-getter though I wasn’t expecting this from her character I guess)

I was also really disappointed in the intimate scenes here. I’m not sure what happened for me, but there was something about them that just didn’t have that passion and emotional grab that I found in the first book.

I adore the cover and think it’s lovely.



Here’s a few random parts that I wanted to note from the book

“As my wife’s footman,” Roger addressed Alex, “you will attend to her needs.”
Rose sense Alex shifting behind her. “Yes, sir.”

*Wiggles eyebrows

It broke my heart that it was mentioned how Brandon’s mother didn’t speak Arabic to her children and tried to do what she could to ‘erase’ their heritage so they could better fit in. So so sad, I think about all the culture and history lost in these experiences and it just hurts.

This I wasn’t in love with – sorry that just sounds sad!

He put the map aside and took her into his arms. “I hope you bury me.”
“What? Why would I do that?”
He kissed her nose. “It’s something my mother used to say to my father. But I never truly understood its meaning until now, with you.”
“What does it mean?”
“Literally, that I hope you outlive me so that I will never have to know the pain of living in this world without you.”
“That is lovely.” Tenderness shone in her eyes.

Content Warnings:

Some mentions/remembrances of prejudice/racism
Infidelity (not by the hero, but committed against the heroine with her husband)
Lying/hiding things from a spouse
Mention of fire happening with injuries

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

10% - an alluded to scene that heroine mastubates
28% - chaste forehead kiss
45% - kiss
46% - kisses and breast play
51% - 🔥 kisses, missionary sex (heroine has a bit of shame here from her experiences with Roger – he (Roger/her ex-husband) implied she was too forward in bed)
54% - 🔥 kisses, sex
57% - kisses
63% - 🔥 kisses, oral orgasm for her, her on top sex
83% - kisses
96% - sex (on the short side and incomplete, fades to black at the end)

Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 (3-4 I find it hard to tell on audio)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥 
Humor: Just a touch

(I marked this one as diverse characters due to the non traditional HEA)

Should I read in order?
Book 1 of this series happens kind of concurrently with this book (book 2). I have read this series backwards, I read book 3 awhile ago and found it all right as a starting point. There are some mentions of prior characters. I think this book would also be okay to pick up first if you didn’t want to read in order.

Basic plot:
Florence is determined to own her own casino for women. She goes to Clayton for lessons to learn all she can for her plans. Clayton, however, has plans of his own against her family.

Give this a try if you want:
- 1891 time period in New York (Gilded Age NY)
- Instructor/student trope – heroine wants lessons on running a casino
- Mid to high steam – 4 full scenes and some additional kisses
- A touch of age gap feel, hero is ten years older and it’s commented on a few times
- Original HEA
- Hero wants revenge on heroine’s family

Ages:
- Hero is 31, heroine is 21


He stopped on the stairs and maneuvered d her until her back was against the wall. Placing his forehead to hers, he cupped her jaw with both hands. “I’ll not risk your safety. Not today. Not ever. Don’t ask it because I cannot allow anyone to hurt you. It would destroy me.”


My thoughts:
I listened to the audiobook of this one and sadly Justine Eyre just doesn’t really work for me as a narrator. I tried one by her she did for Sabrina Jeffries and I had to stop and read the physical book instead. And I think overall I would have enjoyed this one a bit more if I read the book. BUT the story still shined through for me here!

While I’m usually really into a ‘hero wants revenge on heroine’s family’ plot, this one felt kind of meh to me. But the romance really made up for everything. I adored their draw to each other and “lessons” is a plot device I usually gobble up. It usually guarantees they are spending quite a bit of time together, which I always appreciate in a romance.

I adored their slow draw to each other. The layers that come into play as they get to know each other and an attraction grows stronger. The intimate scenes were perfection to me – romantic, steamy, and intense. There were a few scenes that gutted me 
emotionally.

I guess I should read the first book now and finish the series backwards haha!

A side note about her father – I hated him. It almost seemed like he was villain material at first. I am still not convinced he really cares about her.

The Ending:

This ending is non-traditional – they do not get married and they have no plans to have children. I didn’t mind this as an ending at all, especially the childless ending. The pregnant in the epilogue/flash forward to 2.5 kids in the future does get redundant after hundreds of hundreds of them. And we know it wasn’t always a desire of couples so I think it should be a possibility as a HEA. I was surprised at the not getting married aspect to it – I just didn’t get that feeling in the story that it’s the direction it would go so I was a bit surprised. But I still think it overall worked here – the time period and direction Clay and Florence were going in, I think it works here. Sure, I would have preferred a marriage but not enough to affect my rating.

Content Warnings:

Remembered death of family members (death of a child, sickness/illness, cholera), abandonment of child by parent, neglectful parents
Cigar use and gambling

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

29% - 🔥 voyeurism scene while escaping a raid at the casino – mutual masturbation with their backs turned to each other
35% - kisses
41% - 🔥 neck bites, missionary, he goes fast and it hurts for her (not a virgin but inexperienced), oral for her
59% - kisses
60% - 🔥 kisses, cock touches, blow job (incomplete), her on top
65% - bath tub scene that fades to black
70% - kisses, neck grabs
75% - 🔥 brief birthday kiss, neck bites, touches, fingering orgasm for her, licking his fingers after